Netapp, Inc.

Network Appliance, Inc.

Rommel D Dongre

Isabelle Cnudde

David A Grunwald

Michael Robin Eisler

Andrew Narver

Isabelle F D Cnudde

Wes Witte

Described herein is a novel technique for implementing a policy-based caching engine in a storage system cluster (cluster) to automatically implement volume caching at select nodes of the cluster in optimizing cluster performance. The novel caching engine may be implemented in a management console of the cluster storing policy information related to volume caching operations requested by the caching engine. Policy information may include node or cluster attributes, operational events, and a pre-defined cached volume configuration of import to the user. Based on the stored policy information, the caching engine may determine a set of nodes on which to initiate a volume caching operation and generate a request for such operation to be performed on a particular node. Only select nodes in the cluster may thus implement volume caching to thereby conserve processing resources for more critical operations at other select nodes in the cluster.

Policy-based volume caching in a clustered storage system

A method and system for integrating anti-virus in a clustered storage system. A clustered storage system provides anti-virus scanning with third-party software components. Specifically, the clustered storage system receives a request for data from a client, identifies the data requires scanning and scans the data for viruses with third party software components that have been previously provided by any one of a number of third party software vendors.

Integrating anti-virus in a clustered storage system

A system receives a scan request for a storage object in a clustered storage system. The system determines if an anti-virus (AV) server is executed on a preferred node in the storage system. The system requests information describing a plurality of nodes on the clustered storage system from a service manager. This information is used to select an alternate AV server which is executed on a substitute node if the initial AV server is not executed on the preferred node. The scan request is sent to the initial AV server if the initial AV server is executed on the preferred node. The scan request is sent to an alternate AV server if the initial AV server is not executed on the preferred node.

Load balancing of scan requests to all antivirus servers in a cluster

A volume metadata manager manages volume metadata including antivirus attributes. When a volume is to be relocated, the volume metadata manager updates a generation indicator in volume-level metadata for the volume but does not update a generation indicator in file-level metadata for a file in the volume. After the volume is relocated, the volume metadata manager updates the generation indicator and antivirus attributes of the file when the file is requested for access.

Volume metadata update system for antivirus attributes

A method and system for integrating anti-virus in a clustered storage system. A clustered storage system provides anti-virus scanning with third-party software components. Specifically, the clustered storage system receives a request to access data from a client, retrieves the data from storage, and scans the data for viruses with third party software components that have been previously provided any one of a number of third party software vendors. If the data is free of viruses, the clustered storage system communicates the data to the client. Otherwise, the clustered storage system attempts to apply remedial actions to the infected file. For example, the clustered storage system may attempt to repair the file by removing the virus. If remedial action successfully removes the virus, the clustered storage system communicates the requested data to the client. Otherwise, the clustered storage system communicates an access denied message to the client.

Running applications to support a storage server is made more efficient by at least establishing a sandbox to run the applications as embedded agents within the storage server. To accomplish this, in at least one embodiment, a management module of the storage server designates resources of the storage server to establish the sandbox using a role based access control mechanism. The sandbox communicates with the management module to access the resources of an operating system of the storage server to run the applications. Based on this, the need for separate external computers to run the applications is eliminated. Additionally, an administrator can control operations of the applications through the management module, thus providing the administrator a uniform interface for controlling both the storage server and the applications. The applications also utilize an existing user interface of the storage server to display logs and events to the administrator.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Rommel D Dongre